Take a guess: What is the No. 1 hottest AI app and web site? OK, that was straightforward, it is ChatGPT.Andreessen Horowitz simply revealed its semi-annual checklist of the highest AI merchandise, and it presents some surprises past Chat GPT and Gemini.The highest 50 checklist is cut up into two variations: net merchandise and apps. Though ChatGPT tops each variations, there are some actual variations the additional you go within the checklist.
Probably the most used AI apps, for March 2025 via August 2025.
Andreesen Horowitz
In keeping with Az16 accomplice Olivia Moore, who compiled the lists, the net knowledge is predicated on analytics from SimilarWeb and app knowledge from Sensor Tower. It spans simply the final six months.The very first thing that jumped out to me on each lists is what number of of those I hadn’t heard of — even names fairly excessive on the checklist. A part of that’s as a result of a few of these are primarily for Chinese language customers, like Doubao, which is made by ByteDance and ranked No. 4 on the checklist for cell apps.In a YouTube video, Moore explains that it is because sure standard AI instruments like ChatGPT are banned in China, so there are different general-use AI instruments that substitute them for numerous Chinese language customers. Quark, Alibaba’s assistant, is considered one of these, as is Kimi, all within the high 20. Moore factors on the market’s one other class of merchandise inbuilt China, however meant to be used by the remainder of the world, like DeepSeek, Kling, and SeaArt.A number of of those standard apps aren’t completely groundbreaking new vibecoding instruments; they’re mainly face filter apps for cleansing up your selfies (FaceApp, BeautyPlus, a number of others). I used to be personally happy to see that the plant-identifying app I take advantage of in my backyard, Pl@ntNet, made it to No. 50 on the app checklist — beating out Meta AI’s stand-alone app, lol.
Associated tales
Enterprise Insider tells the modern tales you wish to know
Enterprise Insider tells the modern tales you wish to know
However what caught out to me most was simply what number of of those high 50 merchandise — for each net and app — are companion chatbots. On this picture, Moore highlighted all of the apps which are companion chats for net — and it is 20% of the checklist:
High AI merchandise for net, with the “companionship” ones circled.
Andreesen Horowitz
And consider: companion chatting is among the commonest makes use of for ChatGPT, the No. 1 product on the checklist. Elon Musk’s Grok, additionally fairly excessive up for a brand new entrant, can also be closely selling its new “Ani” and different character companion chat options.These caught out to me particularly as a result of the potential perils of AI companion chatbots — particularly for younger individuals — have been within the information these days. The New York Instances had a narrative this week a few teenage boy who dedicated suicide after speaking to ChatGPT for months; his dad and mom at the moment are suing OpenAI. (The corporate stated in a weblog publish Tuesday that it was engaged on new safeguards for dealing with delicate conditions.)Meta can also be going through scrutiny for a way its AI merchandise chat with teenagers and youngsters after a Reuters report revealed inside tips that stated it was OK for AI to romantically chat with children. (A Meta spokesperson stated the rules have been modified, and it by no means ought to have been allowed.) Now, a number of senators are demanding solutions from Meta.What I discover considerably eyebrow-raising is that companion chatting, as fraught as it may be, appears to be one of the vital standard (and profitable) issues for an AI firm proper now.I’ve to surprise if public opinion on these companion AI apps will flip within the subsequent 12 months or two — and make these lists presumably a lot totally different in future years.
